Hermaphroditic disconnect terminal



v June 2, 1970 T. G. SPOFFORD 6,

I HERMAPHRQDITIC DISCONNECT TERMINAL Filed April 11, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 3

I N VEN TOR.

2 I F 5 moms 6. SPOFFORD '4 T TORNE) June 2, 1970 1', 5, s oF o 3,516,043

HERMAPHRODITIC DISCONNECT TERMINAL Filed April 11, 1968 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 6

INVENTOR.

,, THOMAS G. SPOFFORD 'BY Z2;- 2212.2, Fl .11 [(4 United States Patent 3,516,043 HERMAPHRODITIC DISCONNECT TERMINAL Thomas G. Spolford, Union Township, Union County,

NJ., assignor to Thomas & Betts Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 720,661

Int. Cl. H01r 13/28 U.S. Cl. 339-47 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure is directed to an hermaphroditic wristlock disconnect terminal adapted to mate with a duplicate member to form a complete, disengageably connectable, spring-loaded, detent-locking wire coupling. Each terminal includes a set of inturned finger-type flanges overhanging a palm-like member which emanates from a wrist portion extending from the wire receiving barrel thereof. A detent located on a recessed, flexible spring-type center strip formed from a section within the wrist-palm portion of the terminal provides disengageable locking means between a pair of such assembled terminals. Misassembly is prevented by the inclusion of a boss within the wrist portion of the respective connectors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention pertains to the field of providing disengageable interconnections between conductors. The devices find general utility throughout the electrical and electronic fields.

Description of the prior art 1 Prior art disconnect terminals, over which this invention is an improvement, are shown by the patent to M. D'. Bergan et al. 2,615,736, issued Oct. '28, 1952 for Electrical Clasp Connector and assigned to the assignee of the instant application. It has been found in practice that the Bergan et al. device is diflicult to manufacture and that a strength and elasticity analysis of the device is difficult. The two plane deflection required with the Bergan et al. device results in a partially torsional deflection of the short cantilever contact prong making it difiicult to accurately establish the force required to assemble, or disassemble these connectors. Therefore, it was found that the required force for connecting, or disconnecting, the terminals would vary from connector lot to connector lot according to the condition of the manufacturing equipment and according to the stock from which the item was fabricated. In other prior art devices the degree of control over the forces required for assembly or disassembly was established by employing difierent male and female terminals. However, this proved to be of little value, especially where the equipment upon which such terminals were used was to be interchanged. For example, if it were desired to assemble two pieces of equipment, both of which had male or female terminals, such assembly was not possible without first removing one of the sets of terminals and replacing it by the proper mating unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention obviates the difiiculties noted above with respect to prior art devices by providing a hermaphroditic disconnect terminal which can be fabricated in such a manner that the forces required for assembly and disassembly of the respective terminals is made uniform and can be carefully controlled by control of the dimensions of the terminal itself. Further, since the terminal is hermaphroditic no consideration must be given as to whether or not the terminal is male or female and the mixing or matching of various pieces of equipment is possible without consideration of the terminal characteristics. The terminal is fabricated from a unitary piece of sheet metal having at a first end a wire receiving barrel and at a second end upwardly and inwardly extending fingers which define a channel therebetween. Between the fingers is the region defined as the palm which extends into the wrist region, the arm and finally terminates in the wire receiving barrel. Two longitudinal slots are cut along the length of the palm and wrist portion to define therebetween a flexible, thin, flat spring type strip. Positioned on the central, flat strip is a detent and a recess. Because of the flat spring type relationship, the detent is free to move in planes parallel with the wrist portion of the terminal for assembly and disassembly of the detents of like terminals. Further, variations in the size of the detent, that is, the height of the detent, due to manufacture or Wear, is compensated by the flexibility of the central strip. Additionally, the forces required to assemble, or disassemble, like terminal elements can be controlled by controlling the thickness of the wrist, the clearance between the inturned fingertips and palm and the height of the detent. Since all dimensions are in a single plane, fabrication of the terminal to produce the desired forces is made more simple. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved form of hermaphroditic disconnect terminal.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a hermaphroditic disconnect terminal having a flat spring central portion to accept a detent, whereby the position of the detent may be varied during the assembly and dis assembly thereof.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a hermaphroditic disconnect terminal whose assembly and disassembly forces can be controlled by controlling dimensions of the terminal within a single plane.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a hermaphroditic disconnect terminal whose assembly and disassembly forces are dependent upon the height of the detent, the thickness of the wrist portion and the clearance between the inturned fingers, fingertips and the palm of the disconnect terminal.

Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the invention, and the best mode which has been contemplated for carrying it out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a hermaphroditic disconnect terminal constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, in section, of the terminal of FIG. 1, taken along the lines 22. of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the terminal of FIG. 1 with the wire receiving barrel omitted.

FIG. 4 is a top elevation of two terminals constructed in accordance with FIG. 1 prior to their assembly.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the terminals of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the terminals of FIG. in a more advanced state of assembly.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation, in section, showing the position of the detents of two hermaphroditic disconnect terminals prior to assembly.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, in section, showing the dis connect terminals of FIG. 7 is a further state of assembly.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation, in section, similar to FIG. 8 and shows the individual disconnect terminals upon com: pletion of the assembly operation.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of two hermaphroditic disconnect terminals fully assembled.

- FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the assembled terminals of FIG. 10. I

Similar elements are given similar reference characters in each of the respective figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to FIG. 1 there is shown a hermaphroditic disconnect terminal 20 constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention. Terminal 20 has at a first end thereof a wire receiving barrel 22. Barrel 22 may be insulated or not according to the particular use desired. In the alternative, in place of the wire receiving barrel 22 there may be a solder lug, or a screw terminal, or the like, for fastening a conductor thereto. Extending from the wire receiving barrel 22 is the arm portion 24. At the extreme end of the arm portion 24, furthest away from the wire barrel 22 is a boss 26, the function of which will be described :below. Extending beyond the boss 26 is the wrist portion 28, which terminates in the palm portion 30. Extending upwardly and inwardly, from the palm portion 30, are the fingers 32. As will be better appreciated from FIG. 3, the fingers 32 have inturned tips 34. Extending along the wrist portion 28 are two long slots 36 which define therebetween a long, flat spring or central strip 38. Mounted on the central strip 38 is a detent 40 and a recess 42. The transition region between the wrist portion 28 and the fingers 32 provides stops 44. As can be seen from- FIGS. 1 and 3 the width of the palm P, as shown in FIG. 3, is somewhat greater than the width of the wrist W as shown in FIG. 1, this minimizes the amount of frictional contact between the wrist and the fingers 32 as the terminals 20 are assembled. Further, the finger clearance F, as shown in FIG. 3, is greater than the width of the arm A, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the fingers may easily be installed over the arm portion 24 during assembly as will be described below. Boss 26, extends from the plane of the terminal 20 in a direction opposite that of the fingers 32, preventing misassembly of the terminals 20. The height of the boss 26 is so selected that it would not be possible to engage the terminals 20 incorrectly.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5 there is shown two terminals 20 in a position prior to the assembly of one to the other. As can be seen, the bosses 26 face in opposite directions and thus will not interfere with the assembly of the terminals 20. However, should one of the terminals 20 be turned over the boss 26 would bear upon the surface of the other terminal 20 and would interfere with the detent 40, thus preventing assembly thereof. As is shown, the fingers 32 are placed adjacent the arm portion 24 in each of the terminals 20. The terminals 20 are then moved into engagement with one another as is shown in FIG. 6 The terminals 20 are then grasped at their wire receiving barrels 22 and are pulled in opposite directions until they take the position as shown in FIG. 7. As is shown in FIG. 7, the terminals 20 have been pulled to a position where the detent 40, of the upper terminal 20 is in contact with the leading surface of the detent 40 of the lower terminal 20. The further pulling on the respective terminals 20 will cause the detent '40 of the upper terminal and the detent 40 of the lower terminal to engage with one another and will cause flexure of the central members 38. Finally, when the stops 44 of the top and bottom terminals 20 engage one another, detents 40, of the upper and lower terminals 20, will take on the positions as shown in FIG. 9. This will represent the fully engaged position with the detents 40 preventing the accidental separation of the terminals 20. The fully assembled position is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. As can be seen in FIG. 10, stops 44 of the terminals have been brought into engagement with one another and prevent further movement of the terminals 20 with respect to one another. Detents 40 will be engaged in the manner as shown in FIG. 9 and will prevent disassembly of'the terminals until such disassembly is desired by forcing the wire barrels 22 of the terminals 20 toward one another. During such disassembly terminals 20 will be pushed to the position as shown in FIG. 6 and one terminal 20 will be moved from the other.

While there have been shown anddescribed and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal comprising: a base member terminating at a first end in a conductor receiving portion and at a second end in a terminal receiving end; said terminal receiving end having portions sharply bent upward and inward to form a channel with overhanging flanges; the width of said channel being greater than the width of the remaining portion of said terminal; said channel having two longitudinal parallel slots therethrough defining a central strip; said strip forming a leaf spring; and a detent upon said strip; said strip capable of flexing to permit the movement of said detent out of the plane of the terminal to permit disengageable coupling with the detent of another like terminal.

2. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined in claim 1, wherein said central strip has a recess ahead of said detent in the direction towards said conductor receiving portion to receive the detent of another like terminal during assembly whereby the force required to assemble two like terminals is decreased.

3. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined in claim 1, wherein the free ends of said overhanging flanges are inclined towards said terminal to restrict the height of said channel.

4. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined in claim 1, further comprising an arm portion coupled between said conductor receiving portion and said terminal receiving portion, said arm portion being proportioned smaller than the width of said channel whereby the overhanging flanges of one terminal may be placed about the arm portion of a like terminal, said overhanging flanges then being moved intolocking engagement with said terminal receiving portion when said terminals are assembled by pulling each in an opposite direction.

5. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined in claim 4, wherein said arm further comprises a boss extending from the surface thereof, said boss preventing the assembly of two like terminals improperly positioned with respect to one another.

6. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined in claim 1, wherein the force required to assemble two like terminals is controlled by the separation between the free ends of said overhanging flanges from said terminal 're-' ceiving end, the thickness of said terminal receiving end and the height of said detent. v

7. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined in claim 1, wherein the locking together of two like terminals is caused by the overcenter engagement of said detents on said terminals.

8. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined 'in claim 1, wherein said conductor receiving portion is a wire barrel.

9. A hermaphroditic disconnect terminal, as defined in 2,615,736 10/ 1952 Bergan et a1. claim 1, wherein said conductor receiving portion is an 2,791,755 5 Hammell.

insulated Wire banel- MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner References Cited 5 P. A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS U S CL X R 2,523,465 9/1950 Graham. 28764 

